The Indian Salt Industry: Transformation And Struggle Under British Colonial Rule (1837–1945)

Abstract

The Indian salt industry, which thrived for centuries as a cottage industry, underwent significant transformation during the British colonial era (1837–1945). Prior to British rule, India’s indigenous salt production, encompassing sea brine, lake brine, subsoil brine, and rock salt deposits, satisfied domestic demand with minimal taxation and was distributed across diverse regions such as Bengal, Orissa, Bombay, Rajasthan, and Punjab. The arrival of the British marked the onset of systematic commercialization and exploitation of India's salt resources to serve colonial interests. This included introducing monopolistic policies, high salt taxes, and the flooding of Indian markets with imported British salt from Cheshire, undermining the indigenous salt industry.

Repressive policies led to the closure of several salt manufacturing centers, including those in Sultanpur and Nuh, significantly reducing production. In response, the Salt Satyagraha of 1930, led by Mahatma Gandhi, emerged as a pivotal act of civil disobedience, challenging the colonial salt laws.

This paper explores the geographical distribution, technological practices, and administrative policies of the salt industry in India during the colonial era, highlighting the industry's decline under British rule. It underscores the socio-political resistance against colonial policies and its implications for India's struggle for independence. Ultimately, the British monopoly and protection of their domestic salt industry devastated India's indigenous salt production, leaving a legacy of exploitation that persisted until independence.